The World Bank will be supporting African countries with $12 billion to complement vaccination programs on the continent, as governments on the continents rally around to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines are distributed.
This development was disclosed by the South African Presidency on Saturday, in a statement.
The financial support from the global lender will come in form of grants or, according to Bloomberg, “highly concessional terms.”
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World Bank’s support comes after the virtual meeting held on January 27 regarding the funding of COVID-19 vaccines for Africa and the logistics of distribution.
UNICEF’s Vaccine Distribution Efforts For Africa
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) stated that it was working with the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) to supply vaccines to 92 low- and lower-middle-income countries, with West and Central Africa making up one-quarter of that demographics.
UNICEF’s Chief of Supply for the West and Central African regions, Jens Cedric Meeus, stated, “West and Central Africa is one of the most complex environments you will find.
“We are dealing with the challenge of delivering COVID-19 vaccines to major cities, but also to extremely remote villages. We are preparing for all scenarios.”
The organisation has also partnered with a Dubai-based logistics company DP World to ensure that the distribution of vaccines in countries that desperately need support is catered to.
